Episode
[40] Data v Drama -- A View of Modern Recruiting w/ Stephen Ragsdale
- Podcast
- X's and Joe's
- Published
- Oct 9, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 5250
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Summary
X's and Joe's Episode 40: Data vs Drama - A View of Modern Recruiting Bob Moats and Mike Wiemuth welcome special guest Stephen Ragsdale, creator of IURecruiting.com, for a deep dive into how data-driven analysis can cut through the emotional chaos of following college basketball recruiting. Meet Stephen Ragsdale and IURecruiting.com [00:00-17:00] Stephen introduces himself as a third-generation IU fan who turned his Excel spreadsheet tracking into a comprehensive recruiting website. His journey from casual follower to creator of IURecruiting.com stemmed from wanting better tools to understand the recruiting process. The conversation touches on early season optimism around IU basketball, with Trent Sisley's viral shot from above Five Guys on Kirkwood symbolizing a new era of offensive philosophy under Darren DeVries. The Recruiting Bingo Card [17:00-30:00] Mike unveils his famous "Recruiting Miss Bingo Card" - a collection of predictable fan responses that appear on message boards after every recruiting loss. Classics include "We don't want him anyway," "This just proves we don't cheat," and "I only want kids who want to play for IU." The group discusses how these responses transcend fanbases, with Stephen noting Purdue fans' fixation on the cheating angle and Notre Dame supporters emphasizing academic standards. The card highlights how fans often rationalize losses by suggesting the coach nearly made a catastrophic mistake, but thankfully the recruit had the sense to go elsewhere. The Recruiting Funnel Framework [30:00-45:00] Mike introduces the corporate HR recruiting funnel model adapted for college basketball. Using Kansas's 2019 recruitment of Jalen Wilson as a case study, he demonstrates how successful programs move from many offers (10) to fewer official visits (…